Chinese vice premier congratulates members of Shenzhou-12 mission

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, watches the live broadcast of the Shenzhou-12 mission launch and extends warm greetings and congratulations to all members who participated in the mission at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, in Beijing, capital of China, June 17, 2021. The crewed Shenzhou-12 spaceship, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 9:22 a.m. (Beijing Time), successfully docked with the space station core module Tianhe at 3:54 p.m., forming a three-module complex with the cargo craft Tianzhou-2. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng Thursday extended warm greetings and congratulations to all members who participated in the Shenzhou-12 mission.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, watched the live broadcast of the mission launch at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

The crewed Shenzhou-12 spaceship, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 9:22 a.m. (Beijing Time), successfully docked with the space station core module Tianhe at 3:54 p.m., forming a three-module complex with the cargo craft Tianzhou-2.

Ahead of the launch, Xu Qiliang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), met with astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo of the Shenzhen-12 mission.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, the CMC, and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, Xu saw them off at the launch center.

Shenzhou-12 is the first crewed mission during the construction of China's space station.

The crew will stay in orbit for three months. They will operate the mechanical arm, perform extravehicular activities, and test a series of key technologies concerning the astronauts' long-term stay in orbit and the recycling and life support system.